Class 86 - BR Blue Livery

[Richard Pike]

Hi Guys,

 

Can anyone help with a livery question, Class 86 in BR Blue, where the body side grills painted Black or do they simply look Black with airflow dirt ?.

[Blobrick]

I don't think i ve ever seen an 86 in in Banger Blue with anything other than blue grills. No doubt someone will now post a photo! 

But yes they did get dirty in traffic. 

Do you have a photo that suggested that they were black?

 

 

Bob C

[Richard Pike]

I suspect it is dirt but almost looks like they are Black

 

[brushman47544]

Blue but already showing signs of dirt:

 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/tutenkhamunsleeping/5356965481/in/pool-ukclass86locomotives/

[Talltim]

Not sure any standard BR blue locos had the grills painted anything but blue

[johnw1]

Ex works 86009 December 1975

 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/pics-by-john/8005222431/

 

grills painted blue, however in every other shot (60+) of a class 86 in traffic in the BR blue period they appear to be various shades of grey or black.

[Revolution Ben]

Ex works 86009 December 1975

 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/pics-by-john/8005222431/

 

grills painted blue, however in every other shot (60+) of a class 86 in traffic in the BR blue period they appear to be various shades of grey or black.

 

Hi John,

 

Thanks for the link to that shot.  I don't claim to be any kind of an expert in AC electrics in the 1970s, but I am surprised to see an 86 with headcode boxes in 1975 fitted with a cross-arm pantograph, especially as in its present guise of 86609 it has a Stone-Faively.

 

cheers

 

Ben A.

[Titan]

What surprised me even more on the AC Electric photos thread was an 86 with headcode boxes hauling Mk3s!

[Davexoc]

What surprised me even more on the AC Electric photos thread was an 86 with headcode boxes hauling Mk3s!

The year (1974) appears to be wrong as the Mk3s were not built until 1975. The 86/0s seem to have been last in the queue for headcode box plating, some making it into the late 1970s. Did it coincide with conversion to 86/3?

Dave

[robertcwp]

86 with headcode on Mark IIIa stock in 1975:

 

86020_Crewe by Robert Carroll, on Flickr

[298]

Hi John,

 

Thanks for the link to that shot.  I don't claim to be any kind of an expert in AC electrics in the 1970s, but I am surprised to see an 86 with headcode boxes in 1975 fitted with a cross-arm pantograph, especially as in its present guise of 86609 it has a Stone-Faively.

 

cheers

 

Ben A.

Pantographs can be swapped during overhauls or because of damage to them. The footprint is the same, but mountings for the actuator and air supy differ, so nowadays locos tend to keep the same type. What is more strange is an 87 carrying a Faiveley pan, as 87005 and one other did in the mid 80's.

[Mike at C&M]

On 20/08/2016 at 23:58, 298 said:

Pantographs can be swapped during overhauls or because of damage to them. The footprint is the same, but mountings for the actuator and air supy differ, so nowadays locos tend to keep the same type. What is more strange is an 87 carrying a Faiveley pan, as 87005 and one other did in the mid 80's.

 

87.009 was the other that carried a Stone-Faiveley pantograph for a while.

 

However, 87.005 was the one that carried one for the longest, and it was also then fitted with the Brecknell-Willis pantograph first. Presumably as a test bed, as it was a long time before any other locos were so fitted.

 

 

To return to the original subject of this post:

   When we commissioned our BR Blue Class 86s in N, from Dapol, the specification was for a blue bodyside, there was no mention of the grills being any other colour.

Edited February 17, 2021 by Mike at C&M
Correct incorrect wording

[Wolf27]

Out of curiosity, which 86/2 was the last to carry standard BR blue?

 

cheers

 

Shane

[roythebus1]

Was secondment at Rugby from December 1974 to December 1975, and we certainly worked 86s with Mk3 stock and head codes were in use on all locos except the brand new 87s. ISTR a few of the 86s had the new cross-arm pantographs.

 

One of our afternoon workings was a peak hour job London-rugby, timed at an average of something like 92mph to Rugby, reportedly the fastest average start-stop time in the Uk at the time. I can't remember where the train went after Rugby, we got relieved there.

 

[Bomag]

8 hours ago, Wolf27 said:

Out of curiosity, which 86/2 was the last to carry standard BR blue?

 

cheers

 

Shane

86211 was withdrawn in BR Blue. According to P5 86205 was the last in BR blue, painted to IC Swallow in 1991

[Wolf27]

23 minutes ago, Bomag said:

86211 was withdrawn in BR Blue. According to P5 86205 was the last in BR blue, painted to IC Swallow in 1991

86205 became 86503 in 1988 and was unbranded TTG. I have found a pic of 206 in blue in 1989, so this may have been the last

Edited February 17, 2021 by Wolf27

[adb968008]

On 19/08/2016 at 19:57, Ben A said:

 

Hi John,

 

Thanks for the link to that shot.  I don't claim to be any kind of an expert in AC electrics in the 1970s, but I am surprised to see an 86 with headcode boxes in 1975 fitted with a cross-arm pantograph, especially as in its present guise of 86609 it has a Stone-Faively.

 

cheers

 

Ben A.

I was just watching a video of an 86/3 with cross arm, in blue c1983/4..

[MidlandRed]

Based on the original query (which I just noticed was in 2016...... but might as well), these two views of class 86s in 1965 when new give an indication of the apparent ventilator grille colour.

 

Flickr image by Bill Wright - E3163 at Longsight DED Aug 1965

 

Flickr image by Robert_CWP - E3163 (and E3161) at Nuneaton - new - 1965

 

In the second (black and white) image, the grilles look black compared with the body colour - and the loco probably does not have a yellow warning panel. The first image shows very clearly the loco in rail blue with red buffer beams (with E3101 behind it) - the grilles look generally black but there appears to be bits of rail blue and either brake dust or rust on them also - perhaps the outer slats were rail blue but they look generally black because of the filters behind? Fabulous picture of an AL6 almost new - but now having received its yellow warning panel - note the first new ones from Doncaster and Vulcan had red buffer beams (E3101-7?, E3161-9) - subsequent deliveries had rail blue buffer beams from new.

Edited February 19, 2021 by MidlandRed